Brussels Airlines flight to Tel Aviv departs despite union protest

A Brussels Airlines flight from Brussels to Tel Aviv departed as scheduled Wednesday morning despite a union protest over the airline's decision to include flights to Israel in regular crew schedules.

Belgian trade union ACV Puls said some cabin crew members did not want to operate the flight but were pressured by management to do so, according to Belgian news portal BRUZZ.

Brussels Airlines has resumed flights between Brussels and Tel Aviv in recent weeks, initially operating them with volunteers and management personnel, including staff who normally work in office positions but also have flight duties.

Since the beginning of September, flights to Tel Aviv have reportedly been incorporated into regular work schedules alongside other destinations.

ACV Puls opposes the move, saying management failed to respect previous agreements reached with unions concerning flights to Israel.

The union filed a strike notice Tuesday, seeking to allow employees to refuse assignments to Tel Aviv, citing safety concerns.

"We have information that there are people carrying out the flight against their will, but they didn't dare refuse because management would sanction it," Jolinde Defieuw of ACV Puls told local media.

"The employer has pulled out all the stops," she added.

Brussels Airlines management, meanwhile, said employees had been informed of the change several weeks ago.

It also argued that the union had not followed the required procedure for submitting a strike notice.

ACV Puls rejected that argument, saying the action does not constitute a collective strike and that employees have the right to take industrial action.

Management and unions are scheduled to meet Thursday morning to discuss the dispute.